My love affair with window shutters started a long time ago, but it’s only truly developed since I started taking a camera on my travels.
Take this beauty above as a classic example, taken in multi-coloured shutter-saturated Sotogrande in Southern Spain (which I wrote about here) How utterly gorgeous. Colour-palette at its finest. Bravo Spain, bravo.
I always try to bring something back home from my travels, whether it’s a boozy bottle which ignites a memory, or a piece of art hand crafted by locals. Maybe it’s just a decorating idea which you haven’t considered before. Shutters in particular are a little more difficult to get in your suitcase, but that’s why I’m so adament to capture them on camera, to soak them up when I get home.
So why don’t we embrace colourful shutters here in the UK?
Well, this is about to change (take a look at these Solid Wood Shutters above – panels of pastel perfection right?)! But first let’s talk history.
Mainland Europe, in my opinion, is far more celebratory in its architectural decorating. I feel that whilst the UK has variety (and in my own city of Manchester there are nods to history everywhere) generally speaking there is a pattern of destroying and starting again, rather than restoring what’s already there.
And I think that’s why I’m so drawn to shutters. They’re not only vibrant in their design, but they often tell a story about the culture you’re in and the era they were initiated.
Typically favoured in more tropical destinations to help control light and ventilation that is so sorely needed in a humid climate, it’s no wonder they didn’t come to chilly Britain until some time later.
(The above was snapped by me last year in Gibraltar. What a statement!)
Shutters were actually favoured in USA, South Africa and Australia long before Europe gave them the spotlight, but regardless of where you find them, they definitely give a sense of grandeur.
You might notice that in the warmer countries they’re also more often seen outside the building than in, thanks to the density of the wall. They’ve got to be easy to reach out and pull in and that’s just not going to work in, let’s say, a medieval castle of yesteryear is it? Not to mention that glass was once an expensive luxury so wooden shutters were not just a fancy-looking bit of decor, but a cost-effective way of controlling the heating.
Period properties are now the favourites for plantation shutters in the UK, thanks to bay windows featuring heavily, and because it can be a great privacy solution when you live street-level, as many traditional terraces do.
You’ll probably still find panelled window shutters in many well-kept Georgian homes, and especially in the likes of stately homes maintained by National Trust. And I for one, am thrilled to see their resurgence here in the UK.
I may be a BIG fan of 80s decor, but I’m sure none of us want a revival of the dreaded net curtain era. Shutters are here to stay.
Shutterly Fabulous Colourful Shutters
So onto the shutters of today. Take a look at the marketplace for woodwork home features – shutters, skirting board, windowsills and quite often you’ll find them in traditional glossy whites or deeper natural shades of wood. Beautifully neutral and inoffensive. But what if you want a pop of colour?
Coloured skirting board was set to be the next big trend as of 2017, and we’re finally starting to see the markets offer something a little different, with Shutterly Fabulous ( a corker of a brand name in itself) doing exactlythat.
Not only do they offer pretty much every design of shutter you could want (Plantation windows, Solid panel wood shutters and Cafe Style shutters being my personal favourites) but they have a custom colour service meaning that you can colour match a shade of your choice to the shutter style that will best fit your home.
We’ve become accustomed to personalising our paints, and it’s finally moving onto other features. So if you want to bring a bit of your holiday home, this is 100% the way to do it. Far better than sneaking wooden slats through customs. Trust me.
Here are some of my absolute favourite examples of custom-coloured shutters:
So much love for the green & yellow tropical vibe given to this dining room thanks to the tier on tier shutters
If your kid’s favourite colour is Coral, then no problem! By the way, shutters are a great alternative for kids who are prone to allergies as they’re less likely to hold onto dust than curtains.
Adding an airy colour to a single panel shutter can really help tie in a colour scheme.
How’s THAT for drama! Cannot get enough of this moody office space thanks to the orange plantation shutters
Why choose one colour? Loving the gradient on these solid panel shutters.
And that’s probably enough shutter spam from me for one day! Although I feel like I’d have enough images of shutters in my collection to host a whole photography exhibition. So tell me, do you get snap-happy whenever you see a particular element on your travels? Are you considering shutters in your latest decorating adventure? Which is your favourite from above and which colour would you choose?
